Longtime Epstein accountant testifies behind closed doors for roughly 7 hours in House Oversight probe

Epstein’s Financial Accountant Gives Testimony in Secret House Hearing

Richard Kahn, the accountant who worked closely with the late Jeffrey Epstein, provided testimony in a closed-door session before the House Oversight Committee. The session lasted approximately seven hours, during which lawmakers questioned him about Epstein’s financial activities. Kahn emphasized that his relationship with Epstein was purely professional, stating he had no knowledge of the “terrible and unforgivable things” Epstein did to women and girls.

Investigating Epstein’s Money Trail

The committee’s inquiry focused on Epstein’s sources of income, his spending habits, and potential ties to illicit activities. Investigators had been examining his finances for months, obtaining bank records and visiting the Treasury Department. Kahn described his role as meticulous, noting that he reviewed all expenditures, including gifts Epstein gave to individuals, but saw them as a minor part of his overall spending.

“We tracked the expenditures as meticulously as possible, including gifts by Epstein to women and men. The gifts represent a very small fraction of Epstein’s spending,” Kahn stated in his opening remarks.

Kahn also denied involvement in setting up Epstein’s companies to hide criminal behavior. He asserted that he had no role in structuring entities or facilitating payments to young women. During the session, House Oversight Chair James Comer noted that Kahn had “answered every question thus far,” though some details remained unclear.

Connections to Trump and Foreign Entities

Lawmakers explored potential links between Epstein and political figures, including President Donald Trump. A committee aide revealed that Kahn mentioned Epstein had investments with Ehud Barak or one of the former Israeli prime minister’s entities. Additionally, Kahn testified that another individual, who had accused Trump, received a settlement from Epstein’s estate.

“Another person who was an accuser of President Donald Trump was given a settlement by Jeffrey Epstein’s estate,” said Democratic Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, who noted Kahn could not recall specifics about the accuser or the settlement.

Comer highlighted that Kahn believed Epstein earned his wealth as a tax adviser and financial planner. He listed five major clients who transferred large sums to Epstein: Les Wexner, Glenn Dubin, Steven Sinofsky, the Rothschilds, and Leon Black. Wexner had already been deposed, while Black was scheduled to appear voluntarily on May 13.

Before the deposition, Comer stressed that lawmakers had many questions for Kahn, who also serves as a co-executor of Epstein’s estate. “We’ve been getting bank records in for a long time, and we haven’t talked publicly about them because we were waiting to bring the accountant in once we got a feel on where the money we think was going and where it was coming from,” he explained.